


Love and Space Wars

by marana1



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Back to Coruscant We Go, Bodyguard, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, Force Dyad (Star Wars), Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jealousy, Or love at first fight, Senator Rey from Naboo, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Slow Burn Rey/Kylo Ren, They fight a lot, but they probably secretly like it, is this love at first sight, political machinations
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:27:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22317055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marana1/pseuds/marana1
Summary: **Spoilers for TROS ahead**Wherein the Rebellion loses on Endor, Luke goes into hiding, Darth Vader never dies, and Palpatine continues to rule the Empire.All Ben wanted was to figure out his place. All Rey wanted was her grandfather to love her. It isn't until news breaks throughout the galaxy of Ben's true lineage that the Force takes things into its own hands. Unsure of his path, he listens and runs. Straight intoher.XxXxXRey walked towards him in a daze. It felt like a moment had been suspended in time as she looked at him and he, in turn, eyed her. She flushed as his gaze moved in an excruciatingly slow manner from her exposed legs to her black, slip of a nightgown, and finally her torn robe, before meeting her eyes once more. His were dark and intense andburning.
Relationships: Kylo Ren & Rey, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 10
Kudos: 67





	1. Storm

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I'm posting to AO3 and I'm SO nervous. I've only ever written on ffnet for Harry Potter (which I should be working on right now, but alas, my mind is filled with Star Wars), so I'm nervous to see how it'll go on here. I kept thinking about this story since I watched TROS (which I thoroughly disliked lol), so I finally bit the bullet and decided to sit down and write it. I've taken elements from EU and Canon and twisted them or added them in to fit the narrative. The first few chapters are short, but they get longer, I promise, and we sort of jump right into the action here. I prefer revealing things as we go on, so do keep that in mind! Primary POVs will be Ben and Rey's, with a couple others here and there. Enjoy :)

Ben was rooted to the spot as the sky cracked open with a fierce streak of lightning and the heavens finally wept. 

Master Luke had instructed him to stay with the ship, but naturally, he hadn't. They had stopped on their way back from Ossus — the old Jedi text, _Rammahgon_ , in hand — and desperately needed to refuel. Coruscant had been out of the question, but Corellia was nearby and on the Trade Spine hyperlane, which could get them near enough to Ahch-To in order to make the necessary complicated jumps to its location in the Unknown Regions. With the sheer number of crime syndicates that had become bold in the past few months since the Hutts' destabilization of the Empire, it was an ideal place to get around unnoticed. There were a slew of them on Corellia, fighting for credits, slaves, and territory, and the Empire was far too preoccupied trying to keep them in line than to look for, or notice, two Jedi slinking around.

They'd docked at Tyrena, which had previously served the long-dead Rebellion, to blend in with the tourists and avoid most of the Imperial Army. There was a stand nearby at the spaceport that was selling endwa, and he'd be damned if he didn't eat some mouthwatering fried food before they left. He was kriffing _sick_ of the fish and green milk on Ahch-To.

Throwing up his hood, he'd made his way to the stand as the sky looked bleak overhead, hoping to avoid the rain before it began to fall in droves. There had been a vidscreen nearby playing one of Corellia's news channels, but he'd disregarded it at first, focused solely on the food, until a small crowd began to form and the port became quiet. Unnervingly quiet. 

After getting his meat, and ensuring the man at the port wouldn't remember he had taken it at all — something Luke would have frowned upon immensely — he turned to face the screen, wondering what could have _possibly_ been so important that people had stopped talking, had stopped _moving._

He'd frozen then, the meat all but forgotten as a twisted feeling of dread curdled in his stomach. On the screen was _him_ , in his early teens. Too big features, all lanky limbs and awkward proportions, as someone reported that he — the secret, out-of-wedlock son of the _famous_ ex-Rebellion sympathizer, Leia Organa, and nephew of purported Jedi, Luke Skywalker — was the grandson of Darth Vader.

The world seemed to go silent as his focus sharpened onto those words: _grandson of Darth Vader._

_Grandson of Darth Vader grandson of Darth Vader grandson of Darth—_

He could feel himself shaking as the rain poured down, drenching him and everyone else. He became cold. _So_ cold. As if a shard of ice had lodged in his heart, freezing it with no hope of warmth. 

It was _impossible_ , it _had_ to be, they would have _never_ just not said _anything. His mother would_ **_never_** _—_

"What a traitor," snarled someone ahead of him, jolting him out of his downward spiral of thoughts. The blood drained from his face as the crowd agreed, murmurs spreading like wildfire. He'd forgotten where he was, how exposed he was out here in the rain. 

_"This information about Leia Organa has just released from another anonymous source and follows a similar reveal that was just as surprising this morning: that the Emperor has a granddaughter whom he has raised in secret for nearly 20 years. We will be back with more as both stories develop. Will the Empire or Leia Organa respond to this news? Is the source who gave us this information the same as the one who leaked the existence of the secret grandchild on Naboo? And will we see more of this secret grandchild, since she is of age? Stay tuned. You're watching Corellia News."_

Ben almost tripped, vision blurring, as he walked with leaden feet back to the ship — an older, Corona-class transport. He was dripping wet, hands and jaw clenched, as he made his way up the ramp. His mind was moving too fast for him to think straight, and his heart nearly pounded out of his chest. Dropping into the co-pilot's seat, he stared out the front of the ship in a daze, barely able to breathe properly. 

Was he _truly_ related to Darth Vader?

His mother and Luke had barely spoken about the past, and when they had, it was to talk only about his deceased father — never about _their_ family. As the years passed, he didn't think much of it. He hadn't stopped to think at all about his mother and uncle's parents… about who could have possibly given birth to two incredibly force-sensitive twins, both of whom were embroiled in politics. 

Cold anger settled in his chest. He was almost thirty years old, and they'd never stopped for _one second_ to even discuss it with him. Not that his mother would have had any time with how she'd chucked him off like a piece of garbage to Luke when things got rough. As much as she'd tried to hide it from him, he had sensed her fear, and even Luke's at times, and he'd never understood _why_. _They_ weren't the ones with nightmares or lacking sleep, they weren't cast aside, as if unimportant, they weren't surrounded by people who _never_ listened—

No, he was fucking _furious_.

The Force gathered around him and sparked with electricity as the sky grew darker, mirroring his mood.

They'd never told him, they'd just let him suffer and _cry_ and feel like an _outcast_ , like some _disturbed kid_ who needed mental help when all he'd wanted was to understand what was so damn _wrong_ with him that he needed to be shipped off to his uncle, or for his kriffing _mother_ to barely spend any time with him. For them to _fear_ him, to _isolate_ him… when he was a mere _child_. No, instead of explaining, they'd allowed his childhood to be filled with loneliness, nightmares, and disturbing voices, hoping that the light side of the Force would save him — something it had failed miserably to do. Instead, the chasm inside his chest had grown and simmered with time… something decidedly more dark and violent taking root in there. 

Ben's lips quivered and turned down as a snarl emitted from his throat. He slammed his hand against the side of the ship and his breath stuttered and eyes welled up at the sudden pain. He'd never wanted to destroy something more than he did now, and the urge to draw his lightsaber and rip apart the ship, or to punch and punch and _punch_ until his hands were broken and bleeding was dangerously seductive. He tried to draw in deep breaths, but he felt wild and unstable — years of repressed anger and resentment finally allowed free — and the thought of even attempting to meditate in this state seemed impossible. 

Ben wanted to run. He wanted to destroy this ship, steal another to leave this planet, and then go on his own and figure out his life for himself, away from his uncle and mother's influence. Away from _everyone_. If ever he felt there was a moment in his life where he was at a crossroads, this was it. 

But something deep inside the recesses of his mind and soul — a familiar dark, sibilant voice that had merely grown in its power as he'd gotten older — told him to _wait_. To see if, after all this, his mother and Luke would finally tell him the truth. 

So instead, he ripped off his cloak and chucked it across the ship with a roar, trying desperately to rein in his anger and the darkness festering inside him like a painful, open wound. 

No, he would not leave. He wouldn't run. Not yet. 

He would get a hold of himself and his emotions, he would mask the utter _betrayal_ he felt, and then he would lie in wait for his uncle to return.


	2. Unannounced

Rey could feel him. He was hovering just above the planet, his aura like that of ice. 

She'd dined outside today under the heat of Naboo's sun, and upon shielding her face from its rays, her eyes found the bright, moon-like structure of the Death Star in the sky. A dull headache had been throbbing in the back of her skull as soon as she’d woken this morning, and now, dread settled in her stomach. Never, in her 19 years of existence, had he ever dropped by unannounced. She hoped, _dearly_ , that this wouldn't become a habit. She always needed time to prepare for his visits... to face him. 

Her grandfather and his presence drained the life out of her every time he came, his proximity like a suffocating weight between her shoulder blades. She always felt drained, physically and emotionally, afterward. She supposed it was a side effect of how intolerable he was to be around. 

Rey had been stuck on Naboo since she could remember, and to her utmost detriment, had spent so much of her childhood trying desperately to get her last living family member to _love_ her, to _want_ her, to train her in the kriffing _Force_ , that she'd suffered dearly for it. Her life had been long bouts of loneliness, deep-seated anger, pain, and depression as she merely survived, alive but not really _living_ , for some unknown purpose.

Food had been one thing she enjoyed, but now, knowing he was minutes away from invading her space once more, her appetite was lost and replaced with a fear that ate away at her insides.

Something was wrong. She could feel it. And she had no idea if that feeling came from what she sensed from him or from what little connection she had to the Force, untrained as she was.

Gathering up her plate, she turned on the lawn and made her way back to Convergence. The estate was old and beautiful — architecture similar to photos of buildings in Theed, Naboo's capital. It surprised her that this was her family's ancestral home. The same family that her grandfather came from. It was too beautiful to have housed such darkness.

Two of the Red Guard remained motionless — like statues — as she entered. They were poised at every entrance, their force pikes out: a harsh reminder that she was never allowed to leave. 

The first thing she saw upon entering was her handmaiden, Rose. The older girl was walking quickly towards her, a comlink in hand, her expression grave.

"Do you know why he's here?" asked Rey as she was shuffled her up the stairs and to her room. Rose had taken care of and grown up with her on the estate, and knew about her subtle connection to the Emperor. Rey could hazard a guess, by the look on her face, that she'd been alerted to his imminent presence. 

"I don't know, but it's not good," she muttered, her eyes catching hers for a moment before she closed the door behind them. Her room was light and airy, all white bed sheets, marble flooring, and simple furnishings. It's not like she had many possessions to begin with, anyway. To the side of her bed was a large veranda with elegant double doors that she kept open all the time. She loved feeling Naboo's breeze flow through her room. 

"The officer on the comlink sounded very stressed out," Rose's voice was hushed, "so whatever the reason is, we need to make you look presentable."

That meant all black.

She changed into a long, tailored dress that looked imposing enough as Rose helped pull her hair back into three buns. Satisfied, they went downstairs and waited. Her tutor, Cardé, was right behind them and looked shaken at the news that there would be a surprise visit from the Emperor. Rey didn't blame her. The track record for her tutors was not a good one, and she tried hard not to think of it. 

The room was tense as they waited for him. His power was steadily growing closer until, finally, the hum of his ship could be heard overhead as he touched down.

Rey took in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and _focused_ , trying to lock all her turbulent feelings into the little box in the back of her mind. Palpatine was good at figuring out intentions and gleaning the thoughts of those around him, something she'd found out the hard way as a child. Over the years, she'd learned to compartmentalize when he was near, and she assumed it worked at some point since he never punished her over her traitorous thoughts or discontent ever again.

When he entered, he was with his Red Guard. She hadn't even looked at him, and neither had anyone else. They had all dropped into kneels at his presence, and Rey's head was bowed to the ground in deference.

Her heart hammered in her chest, but still she kept that box of emotions locked deep inside her. He could feel her nervousness, that she was sure of, but apart from that, nothing else.

He moved like a ghost, his steps silent across the ground.

"Leave us," his voice was frigid and a lump formed in her throat.

Whenever he was near, the temperature dropped, and today especially, it felt colder than usual. That couldn't be positive sign. She listened with trepidation to Rose and Cardé's footsteps retreat as they left her alone with her grandfather. 

He said nothing for a few long moments.

"I can feel your fear," he murmured quietly, with a hint of reverence. She knew he fed off it. "It seems you know me well enough, _granddaughter_."

Her body contorted painfully, and she gasped as she was forced back, her face up and bared for him. She gritted her teeth, trying to hold back the whimper at how strong his Force hold was.

He came close to her, until she could see the bright, inhuman yellow of his eyes. He held her by the chin and moved her face to the side, as if... as if _inspecting_ it.

She didn't understand.

He pulled back, seemingly satisfied, but kept her in the hold.

"You just turned nineteen," his voice was harsh in the silence of the room, "And I have decided that it's time for you to claim your political birthright."

If Rey could have, her mouth would have dropped. Her eyes widened in shock as her heart stuttered before beating a fiercer rhythm in her chest. He couldn't _possibly_ mean that. This had to be a ploy of some sort. He would never give up his power, and certainly not to _her_. Lord Vader would sooner be chosen as his successor over her — a girl who had been locked away in the Mid Rim for her entire, miserable existence. 

" _Not to my Empire,_ " her grandfather corrected sharply, baring his teeth in a snarl. She watched with mounting apprehension as his hands twitched, as if itching to punish her for the mere thought. She prayed to whatever diety existed, if there was one, that he didn't. Her headache was beginning to grow and lightning would make it far worse. "To Naboo. The previous senator has died a most... _untimely_ death this morning, and you're next unless..."

He trailed off, wanting to keep her in suspense. She felt his hold release from her face and she let out a sigh of relief.

"Unless what, grandfather?" she said hoarsely, a note of desperation in her voice. Anything to get her out of this painful Force hold.

"Unless you do as I say and take up her vacant position," he announced, a contemptuous edge to his words, as if he didn't want that outcome either.

Her heart sank. This meant she would _leave_. Leave Convergence and this life, conduct politics, speak to actual _people_ , debate, be under his influence at all times, take his orders, be subject to his punishments. _.. leave_ , she would _leave_ _—_

She wanted to ask _why_ , wanted to ask him why he chose _her,_ of all the more qualified people, to take this up. Why he would even _bother_ —

But she stifled those thoughts before he could sense them. He was pretending to give her a choice, even though they both knew she never had one. Not really. It was the same farce of a choice he presented her with numerous times: _listen or die_. And she, the adaptable person that she was, the person who chose the basic, human instinct of _survival_ , would always do what was necessary. What he wanted of her.

She would agree.


	3. Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all knew this was coming. I think y'all will like the next one ;)

They were back on Ahch-To and throughout the incredibly long journey it took them to get there, Luke hadn't said a word.

Deep inside, Ben was fuming, but he continued on as if nothing was amiss.

Luke had disappeared for fuel for so long on Corellia that he had become worried, a fleeting feeling that had upset him even more based off the current circumstances. Worry or any sort of sympathetic emotion was the last thing he wanted to feel for his uncle.

Just as he thought he'd have to venture out and find him, Luke had returned and apologized. After they'd sat down and had begun lifting off, Ben just _barely_ touched the edges of Luke's mind to see if he knew about the news.

He had.

There had been a whisper of a thought flitting through his mind that pertained to it. Distracted as he was with taking off, Ben was able to pull back immediately without detection. He knew he was gifted when it came to his ability to manipulate the Force, but Luke was still more powerful and highly attuned. He would have sensed him — even when distracted — quite fast unless he'd made it as brief as he had.

The conversation died soon after they safely left the planet. This was nothing new. As Ben had gotten older, their relationship had deteriorated... not that it had ever been great in the first place. Luke hadn't been around much for fear of detection on Hosnian Prime, their permanent residence. When he had been around, it was for fleeting moments that never lasted more than a day or so. Ben had seen Lando drop by far more than he ever did. And so, when his mother announced he would be sent to train with an uncle he barely knew against his will, the foundation for the poor relationship between them had been laid and the one with his mother had fractured.

This information about Vader would no doubt ruin whatever was left of them both.

As the island came into view, Ben shifted in his seat, feeling even more irritated, but thankful to finally be out of this confined space and away from Luke. This planet was the last place he wanted to be, especially now, but he would much rather be anywhere else than in this kriffing ship.

Luke glanced at him, sensing his dark mood, but instead of commenting, just sighed. As Ben had gotten older, his dislike of Ahch-To had merely grown. The only bearable place on the island was the temple. The view and the near-palpable connection to the Force drew him there everyday, helping him forget just how lonely he was here.

He could see two familiar figures — Voe and Tai — as they walked over to the now-parked ship. They were the only two force-sensitives he and Luke had found on their many expeditions throughout the galaxy, seeing as they hadn't been too keen on venturing out often for fear of being caught. The Empire had pretended to relinquish some control — after the rebels had been snuffed out, of course — by reinstating the Senate, but it was done in an effort to look as if they were compromising with the people. Underneath it all, it was obvious the Senate held no true power. With the Death Star II fully operational and intact — the loss of Mon Cala and Chandrila proof of that — it was obvious that fear was their strongest tool to ensure obedience. His mother and uncle had been fools for ever thinking differently. Perhaps if they hadn't, both worlds, Alderaan, and his father would still be around. He grit his teeth at the thought, hands clenching into fists as he walked off the ramp and towards the temple.

Tai approached him in an attempt to be civil. He and Voe had elected to remain on the planet, interested in exploring some of the other islands dotting its vast ocean with an old T-47 airspeeder that barely worked. They'd both wanted to come here and train of their own volition, and as such, their interest in the planet was untainted... unlike his.

"Ben!" he clapped him on the back, a warm smile on his face. Tai had shaved his head at some point after they left, and his normally pale skin was tanned from exploring the planet. As his blue eyes assessed him, the happiness in them left as abruptly as it came. Tai had always seemed to instinctively understand him better, and they'd gotten along as well as they could have because of that — very unlike his borderline volatile relationship with Voe. She was comprised of a potent mixture of extreme pride over her strong connection to the Force and arrogance. An interesting combination for a Jedi. One that had immediately pushed them against each other. He was positive there had never been a moment where they had gotten along. "How was it?" his voice decreased in volume as they moved away from the ship, sensing something was wrong. Ben could feel Luke's sharp eyes on him — as they always were — and worked his jaw.

"Fine," his reply was curt, and Tai got the message. He was sure his poor mood hovered around him — nearly tangible in the Force — but he couldn't bring himself to care this time. He wanted to be alone. Knowing he was in a mood, Tai said nothing and simply let him go. It was a relief.

* * *

Ben felt him before he heard him. He would recognize Luke's presence anywhere, likely even in his sleep, considering how accustomed to it he was.

He had been sitting on the rock just outside the temple, meditating since they returned — time passing in a blur — as he sought answers. He knew where he wanted to go. What he wanted to do. He'd made that decision on their way back here. However, he still felt conflicted, far more now than he did before. Meditating had helped him control his emotions and had given him some peace. Despite that, the Force, as attuned to it as he was the many instances he'd come here before, provided him with no support or answers this time.

He opened his eyes, taking in the turbulent waves as they crashed against the jagged, rocky cliffs of the island and the cloudless, midnight sky. The moon was shining brightly — a beacon of light in the darkness.

"You know."

Luke's words were more a statement of fact than anything. Ben's eyes lingered on the waves before following their movements to the island and then the cave, its gaping mouth lit by the moonlight. He had explored it long ago in the middle of the night, his darkness drawing him to it almost as soon as he had been brought here to train. That was back when he'd been scared of it. The cave had provided him with no answers, merely his own reflection staring back at him. That had been one of the main ideals drilled into his skull as a child — the dark side could tempt you, but it would never be able to offer you the answers you seek. It could never offer enlightenment.

But that had been over a decade ago. Many things had changed since then. He'd learned to walk with his demons instead of run from them. He'd had no other choice.

He wondered now...

Ben's eyes glinted, and he got up slowly before facing his uncle.

"Know what?" he countered, wanting to hear him say it. The last vestiges of his peaceful meditative trance evaporated as soon as he turned around and saw Luke's green eyes staring at him so impassively. He could feel the disappointment, as if it were _his_ fault for not saying anything on their long trip back when it was Luke and his mother who had decided never to tell him the truth. It burned him.

"You saw the news," he stated, coming closer. His gaze faltered, and Ben could feel the guilt now. It fed his anger. "Ben... We didn't say anything to—"

"To what?" his voice dropped venomously, "To _protect_ me?" He spat the word out like it was poison, his lips curling. "Did my grandfather know?"

Luke's eyes flashed to his, and Ben could tell he had rattled him.

"The reason you were kept a secret was specifically so he _couldn't_ find you," retorted Luke, frowning. "We wanted to keep you away from him and the Emperor. Prevent you from being used as a pawn... like they tried to use _me_."

"Just like you and my mother are using _them_?" he snapped, referring to Tai and Voe. "Don't think I don't know that you've been training us for the eventual day when the Rebellion will be reignited again." Luke's lips pressed together, and it was vindicating to know he'd been right in his assumptions. The war had never truly been over for any of them, it had just been relegated to the background until the right moment passed for its torches to light once more. His voice became louder and more angry. "Surely, that's one of the reasons mom sent me here? She's free to reignite the only thing that mattered to her now without me as a fucking liability."

"That's _not_ what she thinks of you, Ben," he countered swiftly, determination in every inch of his voice. "You're _not_ a liability. You never have been. We both love you and everything we ever did was to keep you _safe_."

Ben moved closer to him until there was barely a foot between them.

"You're twenty years too late," he hissed, moving around him and to the entrance of the Jedi temple.

If he couldn't find answers here...

His eyes flickered to the mouth of the cave once more and a steely resolve settled in him.

* * *

Luke stood in front of the small pool in the middle of the temple, his eyes fixed on the combination of light and dark depicted within. Moonlight filtered in from the crude opening that led to where Ben had been sitting minutes before. His meditation had been quiet and peaceful, and Luke knew this was the one place he truly enjoyed being on this planet.

Once Ben had sensed him, his emotions had devolved into a chaotic swirl of anger and betrayal, a dark cloud hanging over his head as he spoke with such vitriol. Luke wished he had done something sooner, having sensed his power a handful of times before, but had believed he wouldn't make the same mistakes as so many of the Jedi before him had. He had been so clearly _wrong_ , and that realization stung... but not quite as much as the realization that he had been severing the relationship he had with his nephew, indirectly, for fifteen years.

He should have done something sooner.

He wondered if this is how Ben Kenobi had felt, upon witnessing his closest friend's betrayal. Luke took in a deep breath before leaving the temple, just in time to see his nephew's dark figure jump into the cave.

* * *

Rey sat, stiff as a stone, as one of the officers from high command — Lieutenant Mitaka, his name tag read — walked into the room.

They were seated at a long table made with a deep, chocolate-colored wood. All the windows were open and sunlight seeped through the billowing curtains into the conference room. It was summer in Naboo — her favorite season due to all the greenery, flowers, and heat — and she would be damned if she couldn't at least enjoy it before she was forced to let it go.

It had been a couple days since her grandfather dropped by unannounced, and during that time, she'd had nothing but nightmares. Nightmares of him torturing her to death or torturing other people to death, all because of _her_. It was always Rose, Cardé, and a tall man with black hair whose face she could never remember upon awakening, but whose presence she knew with such familiarity that it terrified her all the same. She'd wanted nothing to do with anyone these past few days, she'd simply stewed in her room thinking of everything that could possibly go wrong in her life if she were a senator, directly under the iron fist of Palpatine, and a claustrophobic sense of fear had burrowed its way deep into her chest and throat. As the days passed, she panicked more, unable to stop thinking about it, and could feel herself beginning to unravel. Upon waking today, she decided she would end this. She would listen to what this officer had to say, and then make a choice. If it was as bad as she thought it would be, she would find some way to run, if the opportunity presented itself. It would be foolish of her to try and steal a ship on her own from the Empire and hope to make it out of her grandfather's clutches alive. No, she needed the perfect set of conditions to fall into her lap, and if they happened, she would take it and take Rose with her and never look back. She'd never been allowed off the grounds of the estate — let alone off _Naboo_ — and her previous two attempts at escape had ended so horribly that she had never tried again. This, however... This gave her an out. She couldn't possibly be monitored all the time. At some point, someone would slip up, and when they did, she would grasp that opportunity by the horns and escape.

She was on one end of the table, and Lieutenant Mitaka was on the other. Her eyes flickered away from him and to the death troopers that followed him, marching into her ancestral home as if they owned it. She grit her teeth in anger, but said nothing. He was merely a messenger and did not deserve her ire, but it was hard to remember that when he was to be the harbinger of all bad news and developments to come. He had been assigned as one of her liaisons and would go back and forth between her, the Emperor, and whoever else needed to speak with her from higher up. She felt pity for him.

The lieutenant gave her a deep bow before quickly raising a hand to the neck of his military top and tugging on it. She could nearly feel his anxiety. He was scared of her.

"Lady Palpatine," he managed, his voice cracking on the last name as he sat down, causing her to wince. Two stormtroopers stood on either side of him.

"Please, _just_ Rey," she corrected, trying not to sound as irritated as she felt.

He nodded quickly.

"Of course, _Lady Rey_ ," he amended. "I'm here to go over some of the changes that will be made to this estate until you are sworn in as a senator."

He paused, as if waiting for her to object, or perhaps yell at him. He was trying hard not to cower like a dog, and it was likely — based off his behavior — that both her grandfather and Vader had traumatized him.

"Go on."

He nodded.

"As you can see, we have upped security. Since you are the only heir to the family, it is important that you are adequately protected here with more than just the Red Guard," his eyes flickered to the two standing on either side of her — guards that she frequently forgot about, as accustomed to them as she was. She supposed he had far worse experiences every time he saw them. "We will be here for you in two days when you will be sworn in, and then a more permanent residence will be created for you on Coruscant. There, you will attend to the needs of Naboo, the Chommell Sector, and it's delegation. Your duties will be primarily talking to your constituents, advising, putting forth legislation, and..." he paused, and she immediately picked up on it, "maintaining the peace."

Her eyes narrowed. _'Maintaining the peace'_ implied that there was peace needing to be maintained at all, as if things were going south in the Chommell Sector. That didn't bode well for her. She had no idea how the outside world — let alone the galaxy, as a whole — was faring, considering she had been completely cut off aside from what her grandfather had chosen for her to learn.

Rey hadn't been allowed to learn anything about flying or geography — her initial choices as she'd wanted so badly to learn about how to leave and the rest of the galaxy. Then, in her desperation to please him, she'd chosen politics, thinking that would make him care about her. That endeavor had failed spectacularly, as well. He would never love her, and that realization had hurt her deeply as a child, but at least it was an area she found she had a knack for and was interested in. Perhaps if she'd never learned, she wouldn't be in this position. She silently cursed herself.

"If no one knows I'm here on Naboo, Lieutenant, why do I need extra guards? Certainly the Red Guard are more than enough?"

He began to sweat. They were _definitely_ hiding something from her.

"Well?"

Mitaka cleared his throat, his eyes fixed on the table in front of him.

"It is for your protection, my lady," his voice became higher pitched in his distress, "We have... intelligence... that there are some in the galaxy who know where you are and want to... or _would_ want to... _send a message_."

There was a short moment of tense silence in the room, and the lieutenant looked like he was going to faint. She could only imagine how she looked as anger began to simmer inside her. So in addition to everything else, she also had a huge bounty on her head. Disappearing off the face of the galaxy continued to be a far more appealing alternative than this farce of a senatorship. If she survived long enough to carry it out, that was.

"Continue," Rey finally ordered in a strained voice.

"Of course, my lady," he visibly relaxed, and the meeting resumed.

* * *

Ben stared at the three Jedi as they stood a good distance away from where he'd jumped up and out of the opening of the cave. The tension in the air was heightened as they watched him straighten up slowly at their presence.

His eyes flashed from Luke to Tai and Voe. Voe looked angry, much angrier than he'd ever seen her, while Tai simply seemed worried.

He knew what they were going to do. They were going to stop him. He could feel their resolve in the force, just as he was sure they felt his now. He had found his answers in the cave, and he knew what he had to do. He was also in an ideal position to do it, with the transport ship docked somewhere behind him.

That cave had given him the razor-sharp focus he needed.

"Ben," Luke's voice was cautious, "Tai and Voe know."

"I would have never guessed," he quipped. "You gave Voe the reason she's been looking for to fight me."

She scoffed, grey eyes narrowing. The moonlight glinted off her white hair, making it almost glow against her dark skin. To his disappointment, she said nothing back to him, instead she merely waited for his next move. Uncaring how she felt, he pushed forward into her head with one hard movement. Long enough for her to notice and throw him out with a gasp, but not before he'd seen and felt enough. She had already made up her mind about him, just like the rest of the galaxy had. Nevermind that she'd known him for nearly a decade. She immediately turned on her lightsaber in defense.

" _Stay out of my head_ ," she hissed.

He said nothing, turning on his own saber automatically, anger growing. If she was itching for a fight, he'd give her one, and thoroughly decimate her in the process. He'd had enough of her, the nuisance that she was, for the time he'd dealt with her.

"Turn it off, Voe," Luke's voice held a warning in it.

"Not until he turns off his!" she spat, pointing to him with it. The green saber lit her features, turning them into something sinister.

"Not a chance."

"No one is fighting anyone, Ben," Tai frowned, taking a step closer with his hands up. "We can always talk about this," he looked behind him at the girl, "Voe, kriffing _turn it off!_ "

"There's nothing to talk about. Voe has already made up her mind, and so have I."

" _Ben_."

Luke closed his eyes and for the first time in awhile, truly looked worn out. The lines of his face and the wariness in his tone gave him pause. He seemed defeated.

" _Don't do this_."

"I'm not going to do anything," his tone was clipped as he took a step back and towards the ship. "As long as _she_ doesn't."

"You're going to leave?" it was Tai now, a deep frown etched on his face. "You should stay _here_ , complete your training _here_."

"I've _never_ wanted that," Ben's reply was vehement, and for the first time, he finally spoke freely. It was liberating, and he could feel his body shake as he spoke of everything he'd never had the opportunity to say because no one was ever listening. "I wanted to get the fuck off this planet before I even came here. I never wanted to train with anyone else, I never even wanted to be around _him_ ," he snarled, pointing to Luke, who flinched. "I just wanted to make my own decisions, do something I wanted to do, and I'm going to do that _now_."

"Ben—"

"Oh and what's that?" Voe asked innocently, her stance changing in a subtle way. Her knees bent a little; her hand flexed. He clenched the handle of his saber as he glared at her, anger growing inside him. "Running off to your grandfather? In the middle of a war?"

"Voe, shut up!"

He remained quiet as his fury sharpened to a point. His lightsaber was still on as he slowly moved backwards.

"Don't follow me," he warned, his voice low and dangerous as his eyes focused on her. "Let me go."

"Luke?" she prompted.

He nearly growled as she asked him for permission.

Ben looked at his uncle, and in that split second, she made her move.

His eyes widened in shock, and his heart froze in his chest as his hand came up automatically — with every ounce of strength and anger he had left — and bent the Force to his will. The weapon halted mere _inches_ before it could make contact with his skull. The heat of the blade nearly singed the skin of his face, and he stepped backwards dumbly.

He took in a deep, shaky breath as his body trembled. His brown eyes were glued to the lightsaber as his body grew cold with hatred. She had _actually_ tried to kill him.

Ben ripped his gaze away and to them, and that was when he finally felt the Force tugging all around him. It was sharp and insistent, and he tightened his hold on it. In his haste and surprise, he had frozen them all. They stood still, their eyes wide with shock, and to his immense pleasure, Voe's were with fear. They had spent _ten years_ fighting and trying to one-up each other, but he would have never believed she had the guts to do _this_.

"I never wanted to fight either of you," his voice faltered as he yelled it out across the space between them. "And I still won't. But you..." his voice trailed off as he glowered at her. It would be so easy to do it. He knew it. To utterly destroy her like he wanted for even trying. He could feel the urge grow inside him, as a dark voice in the back of his head urged him on. That it would be _so easy_ ; that she was _weak_.

His eyes moved from her to Tai and Luke and he found some control. No... Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to finish her off. Not here, with them. He would wait.

She might not want to play by the rules, but he would, and when he did, it would be a fair fight with _no one_ to stop him.

Ben bent the Force to his will, feeling unnaturally stronger now — more than he ever had before. He could feel his darkness oozing like tar around him, feeding him with its power. His grip on it slipped fast, however, as they tried to push through his hold. Making use of this opportunity, he ran with everything he had to the ship. It was very close. He only needed to maintain control long enough to fly out at full speed, and he did.

He could never come back, and he wouldn't. Not after this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tai & Voe: Two characters that were actually a part of Luke's academy. Both tried to prevent Ben from leaving in canonverse.


	4. Intruder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't remember if I've said this already, but thank you all SO much for the reviews, kudos, and subs! I'm so glad people are enjoying this story. Getting alerts motivates me to write even faster! Anyway, hope y'all enjoy this chappie >:)

Rey jolted awake, her eyes taking in the familiar, silken canopy of her room. Something had woken her, and even though she couldn't explain in words how she knew, she _knew_ something was wrong. That was clearly becoming a normal occurrence for her nowadays.

Throwing her sheets off, she scrambled to a window and looked out. Sunlight shone beautifully off the waters of the lake on this side of the estate, and Varykino, which she could see in the distance, continued to stand prominently. All was still and quiet. Moving away with a frown, for the feeling in her chest was growing, she threw on her robe before heading to her veranda. What she felt reminded her of when the Emperor would come to visit Naboo, but stronger. _So much stronger._ She would recognize him anywhere — her grandfather's presence in the Force was unmistakable. This was definitely not him.

This was something else.

The wind blew softly around her robe as she paused, waiting. Her eyes scanned the courtyard below, and she noted the same members of the Red Guard standing alert as always, their force pikes glinting in the light. A few death troopers were milling about. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

It began quietly at first. Just a slight disturbance... until it wasn't. She glanced up, shielding her eyes from the sun as the burning feeling inside her grew. At first, all she could see was the Star Destroyer still posed overhead since Lieutenant Mitaka's visit. Not a moment later, movement caught her eye. She gasped, flinching away, as an old light freighter careened onto the grounds — _her_ grounds. It flew almost parallel before crashing and destroying the landscaping towards the front of the estate. Shouting erupted as it hit, and the impact of it caused the house to shake. Shocked, she stood still for a split second before running out of her room. This was the most excitement she'd ever had in her life, and she'd be _damned_ if she let it slip by. She would have been more worried for the pilot's life if the landing had been fatal, but whoever it was had been skilled enough to ground that burning pile of junk as gracefully as possible given the circumstances. If she could get past her guard and troopers… she would be able to finally get off this planet and away from her grandfather. This was her ticket. The Force was finally giving her an out, and she could feel it. It felt righter than anything else had before in her life. At the very least, she could get to one of the speeders and leave the estate while they were otherwise occupied.

Something that felt a lot like guilt overshadowed the sweet taste of freedom on the tip of her tongue, but she pushed it down. She needed to stop feeling guilty. Stop trying to please a man who kept her here, under lock and key, until it suited his needs.

As she raced down the stairs, she heard shouting and blaster fire coming from outside. Rounding a corner, she crashed into someone and was grabbed and pulled to the side.

" _Rey_."

The warning was strong within her voice, as was the underlying plea.

_Don't do this._

She ripped her robe in her haste to move away. Being a Force-sensitive had its perks, none of which she had learned or could properly utilize when surrounded by people who were trained specifically to keep her here. What little she knew were from legends, and what she'd seen her grandfather do on occasion. Never had she had urgent enough cause to use them until now.

"I _have_ to."

She stared into Rose's eyes, willing her to understand.

"I told you, I'd find a way out somehow. I was hoping for days that I would, and now, here it is. This is it. You... _You'll let me go_."

Rose rolled her eyes.

"That mind trick won't work on me or anyone else here, and you know it." Rey's face flushed in embarrassment as her attempt was so easily thwarted. "The Emperor... he'll send Vader after you," she whispered, moving closer. Her eyes were intent on hers, trying to get her to understand as she grabbed her elbows tightly. "And that's _if_ the death troopers and guard somehow manage to let you escape. Not just you, but all of us here. I can't let you—"

"Come with me."

Instead of being phrased as a question, her words came out as unyielding as a demand. Rose's grip slackened with shock.

"Come with me," she repeated. Steps began to echo down the hall as Rose just stared.

 _Troopers_.

"Lady Palpatine!" one of them shouted.

Not waiting for a response, she yanked Rose by the elbow and ran towards the double doors that led to the outside of the house. She would save her even if she didn't want to be. Rose was the only friend she had. The only person who sympathized with her loneliness out here.

The double doors blasted off on their own before they could reach them, however, and a tall, imposing figure stepped through the dust. Pure fear jolted through her system and she stumbled back. She only knew one other who was that tall. She might have been woefully untrained, but she knew raw power when she saw it. When she _felt_ it. This was very different to Palpatine — this feeling wasn't cold. It permeated the air in the room and electrified it like a wire, charging the atmosphere and causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end. There was only one other person it could possibly be.

 _Vader_.

Rose's words came back to her and she froze, her hand clutching the other girl's tightly as she moved in front of her, as if to protect her from him, the ruthless Sith that he was.

The ruthless Sith who had once shown her some measure of kindness. Someone who'd somehow had _children_ , if the rumors she'd heard were true. Children who'd turned and joined a rebellion that had been annihilated 30 years ago. She wasn't allowed any sort of connection to the outside world, but that didn't mean the grounds keepers or troopers were immune to gossip. Gossip she happened to overhear on occasion.

As the smoke cleared, all the air inside her lungs exited in one large, stunned breath.

The figure by the door wasn't Vader.

 _It was the man from her nightmares._ Her jaw dropped in shock. Never in a million years had she believed he was an actual, living person. She supposed she should have known better being from the family she was. Fate worked in mysterious ways for them, typically with violent, unhappy ends.

Her heart beat so loudly in her chest, she was surprised no one else in the room could hear it. She'd barely seen his face in the dreams she'd had, always forgetting specifics upon waking, but seeing him here, she _knew_ it was him. The recognition rooted her to the spot.

He had familiar, shoulder-length black hair, incredibly broad shoulders, and was covered in dirt and grime from the crash. He was scratched and bleeding in a few places, and a bright, blue lightsaber was held in one hand as he stood in the doorway.

 _He's a trained Force-sensitive,_ she thought, with no small measure of awe... and envy.

He was on the defensive and appeared to take stock of his surroundings. Dressed in all black — despite the fact that it was a simple shirt and pants — with his lips turned downwards in a fierce frown, he cut an intimidating figure. That was, until he finally noticed her. The darkness surrounding him like a blanket lifted as soon as he caught sight of her.

" _You?_ " he asked, shocked.

" _Me?_ " she said dumbly. Did he know her?

"I have a bad feeling about this," Rose muttered, leveling him with a glare.

Rey barely heard her protests as she walked towards him in a daze, dragging her along. It felt like a moment had been suspended in time as she looked at him and he, in turn, eyed her. She flushed as his gaze moved in an excruciatingly slow manner from her exposed legs to her black, slip of a nightgown, and finally her torn robe, before meeting her eyes once more. His were dark and intense and _burning_. Her heart stuttered.

Blaster fire cut through the room, and the spell was broken. She ducked instinctively and winced as a shrill scream ripped from Rose's throat and right into her ear. Rey moved until her back was pressed against the wall next to where the doors should have been. Doors he'd kriffing _blown off_.

The man immediately looked away from her to face the death troopers. For one second, she felt concerned but realized that was completely unfounded when he raised his right palm, closed his eyes, and _froze_ the four men and their blaster fire.

Rey's eyes widened comically. Silence reigned and no one moved, the Force a live wire that enveloped the room. She'd seen some Force abilities, mainly her grandfather's propensity towards lightning, but never had she seen _that_.

Since his attention was otherwise occupied, she glanced behind her and across the threshold of the estate, only to witness a grim scene. A lush, green lawn and beautiful scenery was strewn with death troopers and members of the Red Guard. Lightsaber marks were littered against their armor, and her eyes narrowed on a blaster lying innocently nearby. The transport ship was smoking in the background, a beacon that would lead the Empire directly here and ruin her chance to leave. No, they had no time. Neither she nor Rose. Nor this man... whoever he might be. Familiar or not. They needed to get to the closest city and smuggle their way out.

She steeled herself and glanced back at the man only to find him already assessing her. His hand had dropped to his side, and she looked back at the troopers only to find them still frozen. Somewhere, deep down, she felt the beginnings of jealousy.

The silence was tense as she grabbed Rose and hauled herself away and over the threshold of the house to put space between them. She nearly fell as she walked backwards down the steps, but righted herself at the last minute. Her hand still clasped Rose's tightly as the heels of her feet brushed against something large and bulky. Breaking eye contact for a moment and looking down, a strangled sound left her throat, and she jolted away from the body of a Red Guard member who had a hole placed strategically through where their face should have been. Her stomach churned.

"Rey," Rose's voice was a low, cautious whisper, tinged with fright, as he came towards them. " _Rey_."

He moved forward like a predator, and she forced Rose behind her once again. Her fight or flight response was kicking in.

"Who are you?" she finally asked, her voice clear and demanding. She was no empress, and if she had her way, she would be no senator either, but the blood of her family ran through her veins, and she would be _damned_ if she cowered before him. If she could maintain her dignity before the most feared man in the galaxy, then she certainly would for him. He matched her step by step as she continued to back Rose up to where she knew the speeders would be. They needed to get to Theed.

His voice startled her. It was deep, smooth, and inviting. _Unique_.

"You're Rey Palpatine," he pointed with the lightsaber, causing her breath to hitch. "The granddaughter of the Emperor."

"So you're here to kill me, then, I presume?" she continued, her eyes drifting to the blaster by her feet. The one she noticed before. She snatched it up, and he, surprisingly enough, made no move to stop her.

"You're going to use that to try and kill me?" his voice was soft, and he still seemed to be sizing her up. "And here I thought we knew each other."

" _What?_ " Rose asked, disbelief in her voice.

They both ignored her.

The sunlight gleamed off his black hair as he continued to stalk them across the lawn, and at this angle, she could see the color of his eyes. They were a light brown edging towards amber. Rey let out a huff before she purposefully glanced behind him to where the death troopers were still frozen.

"I don't think trying to kill you would work very well in my favor," she retorted, holding the blaster up towards him, regardless.

He glanced behind him, as if forgetting the death troopers were there at all. He let go and the Force snapped back into place around them like a rubber band, the blaster fire finding the death troopers squarely in their chests as it rebounded.

Rose held onto her more tightly, and Rey took the opportunity to shove the blaster into her hands before grabbing a Force pike on the ground.

She held it up to him and turned it on.

"Don't come any closer, or I'll knock you out."

He turned around and paused. His eyes flickered from her to the pike. He didn't seem worried at all.

"Why are you here?" she spat.

"For my grandfather."

His reply was simple and threw her off. She was beginning to get restless with all this wasted time, and she glanced up in the direction of the Star Destroyer still hovering above the planet.

"Your grandfather?" she reiterated, confusion in her tone. She lowered the pike for a moment.

His head tilted to the side a fraction.

"You don't know? Haven't seen my younger face plastered all over the HoloNet?"

"I don't..." she raised the pike back up as he began to advance.

She was going to say she wasn't allowed — _never_ had been allowed to glance at the HoloNet. But that seemed awfully pathetic, and the realization that he knew a whole lot more about the state of things than she did once again fueled the seeds of jealousy inside her.

"Rey," Rose breathed, her breath fanning over her ear and rustling her hair. "He's—"

"Do you know how to pilot?" he interrupted, his eyes still glued to her. He took a step forward and she followed with one step back. As intense as his gaze was, she couldn't look away.

"Yes," she snapped immediately.

"No!"

" _Rose!_ "

"You don't," she retorted, "And I'm not about to die trying to make it out of the atmo because you think reading a stolen book constitutes as experience."

She bristled.

"We need to get moving, then."

He walked towards them brusquely now, and she matched his long strides as the blaster in Rose's hands went off. In the blink of an eye, it was suspended in mid air.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he muttered, sounding irritated as he raised the hand still holding the lightsaber and made a point of sheathing it. "But if you plan on getting off this planet alive, then we need to go."

"Who are you?" she said once again, her voice a whisper now. Her pike was still pointed at him, but she knew he could overpower her easily if he truly wanted to. It was merely a formality. "Why are you even planning on helping us leave? Why not just kill me? You know who I am. I'm sure there's a huge bounty on my head."

He moved towards her this time, but with the lightsaber sheathed, her fear of him had decreased.

He stopped a foot away.

"You feel it, don't you?" His voice was quiet and smooth once again. It wrapped around her like a soft, summer breeze. "The pull. You and me. Why do you think I even bothered entering the estate? I could have taken a speeder and left."

She was at a loss. So he _did_. He felt it, too. Even now, she felt the pull to him.

"You're Force-sensitive, and you've been kept here like a pretty bird in a cage. Like a prisoner. I know what that feels like. What _loneliness_ feels like."

There was a moment where they just stared at each other, and she assessed him. He didn't appear to be lying to her, and they _did_ need a pilot if they were planning on getting off Naboo. As if sensing her increasing complacency, he reached over slowly — his eyes still on hers — to flip off the notch on the pike.

Before he could make it there, she swung at him, and he stopped it with the Force just a few inches before it could have connected with his head. His eyes hardened and her breath caught in her throat as one large hand moved towards her forehead and everything went black.


	5. Theed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I want to apologize for the lateness of this chapter! Last week was hectic for me because I had my final, overarching proposal due (I graduate with my second degree in May lol) so I focused completely on that. I don't really have an update schedule for this story, but I've been hoping to post at least once a week. Thank you all so much for all the kudos and subs! Drop me a comment and lemme know your thoughts since they help motivate me to write!

"There's been a true awakening in the force, Lord Vader."

The man in question knelt in front of his master and took in a deep, meditative breath. It had been years since the Rebellion failed, but the murderous intent he felt towards the Emperor — which he kept as carefully concealed as ever — had never once abated. Instead, it had continued to fester, as it did with all Sith apprentices. However, now was not the correct time to take action. There hadn't been a correct time in decades... _but it was coming_. He could sense it similarly to how he could sense a storm on the horizon. In this case, it felt like both.

The day the Rebellion had been obliterated, his soul nearly split in two. He had spent decades destroying whatever had been left of Anakin Skywalker, but within such a short time, his son had broken through all his fury and darkness, enough so that the man he had once been had managed to ooze through those cracks. In his position, he could do nothing with the Rebellion lost, and he had committed enough atrocities in the name of his master that it wouldn't have mattered anyway. He had done what he could by bartering for Leia Organa's life in the aftermath and allowing Luke to leave the Death Star relatively unscathed. His son had remained in hiding since then, and that knowledge was enough. All information about his whereabouts and Leia's actions would go through him — his troopers had more loyalty to him than Sidious, anyway. He picked and chose what information was necessary for the Emperor to hear as the years passed, not that there was much he found out, anyway. And he waited. As he had been doing. It had been easier to filter information before the Hutts began an uprising of their own earlier this year. Prior to that, Sidious had spent most of his time attending to his own matters of importance in the Imperial Palace on Coruscant. Now, however, he had taken a vested interest in reorganizing and strengthening the Empire, and his near-constant presence made him wary.

Vader could feel the power emanating from Sidious, even in such old age. It was a potent reminder of his own mortality.

His eyes flickered to the viewport behind the throne for a moment. Naboo was displayed in all her glory amongst the stars.

A deep, gnawing grief settled in his stomach. A pain that never truly left him.

Before her face could materialize in his mind, he pushed her out. Now wasn't the time, but with the planet — _her_ planet — so close, it was hard to think of anything but her. He focused instead on his anger, not only towards Sidious for failing him so many years ago, but at himself, for being so blinded.

"Yes, my master," he replied woodenly, obtaining power from his emotions. It gave him the strength he needed. The dark side revitalized him like no machine ever could, even if his hold upon it was tenuous. His eyes were still fixed on the planet. "I have felt it."

"I wonder... Vader... If you will finally succeed with your grandson where you failed me so hopelessly before."

His eyes moved from the planet to Sidious. He was watching him quietly from his throne, dark interest written on his face, but much more concerning than that: a promise.

_Do not fail me again._

Sidious had been searching for a younger apprentice to replace him, just as he had quietly waited for the chance to run him through with his saber and take his place. It was a game they'd played — a game they had _been_ playing — for decades now. Only this time, his grandson — far more righteous and angry than Luke had ever been — stood in the balance between them.

"He has much anger and resolve in him, my master. He is close, I can sense it."

"I suspect," Sidious continued, a cruel smile curling his nearly translucent, white lips, "he will come to us all on his own."

* * *

Caught up in his all-consuming fury at Voe — one that lingered so deeply in his chest that he slept and woke up irate — Ben somehow thought he would be able to find his way to his grandfather in the old, Kuat-manufactured transport without being shot down. He'd vascillated in space above Ahch-To before deciding to meditate to clear his mind. The Force had pulled him where he needed to go — to his grandfather... to Naboo. Now, thanks to his rashness, he was carrying two unconscious girls with him on his journey to apprehend a ship and try once again. What did he have to lose, after all? There was truly nothing left for him now except this path, and it felt righter than anything else ever had.

Not wanting to be shot down by Imperial ships again, his ticket into the Death Star currently had her legs draped over his lap. Her back was pressed against the inside of the door, her head on his shoulders and supported by his left hand as he drove the tiny, two-person seraph-class flash speeder with his right. Unfortunately, Naboo had never had a predilection towards war, and that was reflected in their vehicles. Not much had changed despite the Empire's takeover, and that included their transportation. This speeder was old and not equipped to go at full speed for an extended period of time, nor over such rough terrain, but he supposed it didn't matter if it broke. It's not like he would ever use one again after today.

They were heading towards Theed's spaceport at near full speed and a mixture of her positioning and the wind ripping around them had caused the girl's night dress to ride up. He tried valiantly not to look at her. Not to stare. He pressed his lips together and swallowed hard. He'd seen her only in dreams, dreams that had been so fleeting between his own darkness and nightmares that he rarely ever remembered them. She had become a balm to his soul — the only reprieve from them in more recent years. Feeling somewhat merciful at the time because he had been entranced by her, he'd taken her handmaiden as well instead of leaving her on the estate where she'd, no doubt, be killed when found. She was strapped in the seat next to them, unconscious, too. They were only 45 minutes out thanks to how quickly he was driving the speeder, but he was still starting to become antsy. The Empire should have sent a squadron down by now to assess the damage, and once they saw what took place at the estate, Naboo would devolve into chaos.

He couldn't seem to understand, however, why that hadn't happened yet. Surely they knew.

Unable to get away from his thoughts, his mind wandered to his mother, who likely knew by now that he had left also. He'd suspected for years, but having Luke confirm that she had been working, in some capacity, to revive the Rebellion pissed him off. She had been under strict watch after Endor, and he suspected, in order to keep him safe, she had acquiesced to the Empire's demands... meaning she could no longer work for her cause.

His birth _had_ been a liability. Perhaps even her greatest shame. A child out of wedlock with an infamous smuggler who'd died before he was even born. She'd kept him a secret for years — allowing precious few people around him.

Ben never understood how Leia had managed to escape death; it had never made sense. Not until the reveal that Vader was her father. He'd clearly spared her for some reason.

Perhaps if his father had still been alive — _Han Solo_ — he might not have been sent to Luke. Perhaps none of this would have happened. Just another thing he could blame the Rebellion for. He supposed it didn't matter now, he would have never been told the truth of his heritage either way.

The galaxy hadn't changed much since the failed Battle of Endor. The Empire had tightened its grip on every system under its command and continued to reign supreme. The Rebellion had disbanded soon after the destruction of Chandrila and Mon Cala, and all that was left were small, unorganized, grassroots movements since then. If the Empire heard of any form of unrest on a planet, a squadron would be sent out to destroy whoever was behind it and rain misfortune upon the world responsible. Out of fear, people stayed quiet. The one concession given after Endor was that the Senate be reinstated — something his mother had been a part of in a limited capacity as a governor. Once upon a time, that was a position he wanted. Not only because he was good at what he did, but for the power. Power to effect change. Like his grandfather.

His mother, however, claimed that the ruse of reforming the Senate was merely a formality, and a smart one, at that.

Ben was jolted out of his thoughts as the girl moved. He stiffened immediately and looked down. Her eyes opened drowsily and met his with a frown before glancing down and taking in her position across his legs. It took only seconds before chaos broke loose.

" _You!_ " she hissed, slapping him across the face. _Hard_.

He supposed he deserved that for being so idiotic as to think she'd stay unconscious for the entire ride. He should have known better. She was untrained but had raw power. She didn't know how to utilize the Force properly, but her strength would make it a lot harder for her to stay under his influence.

He cursed and the speeder jolted to the side as she moved quickly to get off him. By the angry look on her face, it was likely so she could get a better angle to hit him with. Loud, annoying warning beeps resonated.

_"You're off course, please turn back."_

Using both hands, he moved her arms down to restrain her and bring her back flush against him. She screeched like a _savage_ before trying to get out of his hold. The beeps got louder, and he could feel a headache coming on. He took a deep, calming breath as he tried not to hurt her.

_"You're off course, please turn back."_

"Would you calm down?" he snapped, trying to maneuver around her.

Holding her in place with his right arm around her torso, he grabbed the steering wheel with his left and moved them back on course...

Only to be thrown back off course and into a wheat field when the girl's head collided squarely with his nose.

_"You're off course, please turn back."_

He saw stars as his head slammed back onto the top of the seat, feeling the slow trickle of what he assumed was blood dripping down his face. The beeps started to get louder again and his anger intensified.

 _"You're off course, please turn_ — _"_

He snarled, and in one swift movement, punched through the front dash of the speeder. The pain in his hand was blinding, and he nearly choked on it, but the machine shut up, and the girl froze in complete shock, allowing him the opportunity to freeze her.

"Sorry, _princess_ ," he hissed. He could feel the burning electricity of her anger hovering around her in the car, and it was invigorating. With both hands finally free — one of which was thoroughly fucked up, now — he veered the speeder sharply back on track, his movements jerky with irritation. He momentarily thanked his lucky stars that they'd veered through a field of crops and not a forest. "If you can't behave, I'll knock you out again."

Focusing back on the road, he pushed the speeder to its limit as Theed came into view. He jerked his head towards it.

"This is Theed," his voice was clipped and strained. "Since you don't know how to interact with other beings, I'm presuming you've never been in an area like a city where you'd need to come in contact with them."

After a few minutes of peaceful silence, he released the hold only on her face and vocal cords, allowing her to speak. He wasn't sure what possessed him to do it, but he instantly regretted it.

"I don't interact with _perverts_ ," she spat, still filled with anger. "Don't think I don't know what you were doing—"

_So that's what this is about._

As stupid as it was, he took offense to her words. Scoffing, he cut her off.

"If I needed a _fuck_ , I sure as hell wouldn't try with the granddaughter of the most powerful man in the universe."

She opened her mouth to argue but he raised his bloody hand to close her mouth with the Force, while simultaneously punching the fuel with his foot, willing this vehicle to go faster. She let out a frustrated sound of anger, and it delighted him.

"Spare me. I had you here," he gestured sharply to his lap, "because I didn't want to pile you on top of your poor handmaiden."

Silence reigned in the car until he felt her anger ebb. Satisfied that she wouldn't start hurling insults at him, he released the hold on her mouth.

She seemed to be silently contemplating the information he gave her.

"Release me."

"Is that an order?" he snarked, making a fast turn that caused her to inhale sharply. "I'm not a servant. That crap won't work on me."

"I won't try to attack you," she grit the words out, as if they were painful to say.

"Really? And what kind of guarantee do I have that you won't punch my face and send us careening into the people in this city?"

"Unlike you, I don't revel in bloodshed."

She said it as if it were so obvious that he couldn't help but glance over at her. As if a _Palpatine_ would give a measly bantha tick about anyone but themselves. It was a comical idea. She met his gaze without hesitation before her eyes flickered to his broken hand meaningfully. Clearing his throat, he finally looked away.

"How ironic."

He maneuvered the speeder off the crude, dirt path they'd been following and onto the main road. Traffic was picking up now and he slowed the vehicle down considerably to accommodate it while weighing her words.

He got in line behind another speeder and could feel his patience begin to slip in light of the traffic. He quickly brought his sleeve up and wiped the dried blood under his nose. Taking a deep breath, he also wiped the blood off his hand, trying hard to ignore the pain. Attention was the last thing he needed when they finally reached the spaceport, and he would be guaranteed that if he walked around with dried blood all over him.

"I won't let you out of the hold until we agree on a deal," he countered, making a sharp maneuver around the speeder in front of him to move ahead.

"What do you want?" she hedged, her voice a little less acerbic. "I don't have anything—"

"Your cooperation," he turned to look at her, eyebrows raised. "We both want to get off Naboo, but that won't happen unless we suck it up and work together. Attempt to trust each other."

He could feel her hesitancy.

 _She's smart to be hesitant_ , he thought.

"You haven't even told me your name."

He released her. She gasped, relaxing onto the seat beside him for a moment before straightening up and taking her torn robe and placing it over her lap in an effort to cover up. He felt a stab of guilt. She shouldn't be dressed like that in public, especially not on a planet as nice as Naboo. It wasn't revealing, but it was still obviously inappropriate.

He focused his eyes on the road. The port was just past the next turn. They were close.

"I'm Ben."

"Ben...?" she trailed off, shifting in the seat to get a good look at him. He felt heated by her stare.

The air between them tensed. He waited to see if she would figure out who he was on her own.

"Ben... _Ben_ ," his name sounded like a forbidden word from her lips. After a moment, recognition lit up her eyes.

_So she does know._

"Ben _Organa_?" she whispered, trepidation clear in her voice. "I... I heard. Rose," she gestured to the sleeping girl beside her, "had informed me about the gossip but I didn't quite care. I don't have access to the HoloNet."

He could feel the sliver of trust she extended towards him with that admission, and he relaxed his stiff posture. She was willing to work with him. All he needed was her compliance until they left the planet. Then, he could restrain her however necessary, no matter how unappealing the thought was to him now, when she caught on to his plan.

Because if there was one thing he knew for certain about her, it was that she would figure it out. She was sharp. Sharp and _volatile_.

"I wouldn't expect much less from a man who sidelined you for twenty years," he muttered, feeling oddly irritated on her behalf. She'd wasted so much of her life hidden away, and for what? What was the reason when the Emperor planned to bring her out of the shadows anyway?

"He's... difficult," she managed to say, her voice coming out strangled. "But he's the only family I have."

He laughed. It was a cruel sound.

Ben parked in a secluded area before jumping off the side of the speeder, his movements carefully controlled. Her eyes watched him in surprise. She looked thoroughly offended.

"What? It's true!"

He came to her side, intending to help her out of the speeder, but she managed to hop up and out of it lithely enough on her own to stand in front of him. Warnings were going off in his head as her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I know it's true," he kept his voice passive.

"Then why would you laugh?" she ground out, glaring.

"Because I'm not a stranger to the feeling," bitterness seeped into his words.

Her face softened into a look of confusion.

" _You?_ " she said, as if she couldn't quite believe someone like him could understand her family issues.

He could feel his anger begin to rise, so he quickly changed the subject. She had managed to take his mind off it, but now it was coming back to the forefront with this pitiful conversation.

"I need to find a ship. Stay here," he gave her a look, "Seriously. _Stay here_. I'll be back in a few minutes."

She gave him a nod, and he relaxed a little before turning away and eyeing the ships around them. He could almost read the thoughts swirling around in her mind as he walked away, she was thinking so loudly.


End file.
